massacree

See also: massacrée

English

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmæ.sə.kɹi/

Etymology 1

Likely a corruption of English/French massacre, possibly from the Missouri French dialect. Originated in the Ozark Mountains; date unknown.

Noun

massacree (plural massacrees)

1. (dialect) Alternative form of massacre
   • 1810, Philip Morant, The History and Antiquities of the Borough of Colchester in the County of Essex, page 32:

     For several years after they ravaged many places with fire and sword, committing many horrible barbarities, as their; countrymen settled here, joined them on all occasions, till Æthelred ordered a general massacree of them, which was executed November 13, 1002, which was severely revenged afterwards;

   • 1952, Abbott Joseph Liebling, Chicago, the second city, page 136:

     The Fourth of July, by the way, also offers tempting possibilities for a massacree. I know a man in Rhode Island whose father used to go out and shoot a deer every time the date came around, on the safe assumption that the game warden would think the shot part of the celebration.

   • 2007, Ralph Compton, The Dodge City Trail: The Trail Drive:

     Four years before his death on the Washita, Cheyenne chief Black Kettle had survived the infamous massacree at Sand Creek, Colorado Territory. Colonel J. M. Chivington, a former Methodist minister and commander of the Military District of Colorado, led the attack on November 30, 1864.

2. (dialect) A bizarre and improbable sequence of events creating great confusion and fuss.

Verb

massacree (third-person singular simple present massacrees, present participle massacreeing, simple past and past participle massacreed)

1. (dialect) Alternative form of massacre
   • 1808, Sylvain Meinrad Xavier de Golbéry, Travels in Africa:

     they never make their dromedaries gallop, but after having lost a battle, and when they are anxious to escape from a conquering and enraged enemy who would massacree them without mercy if they were overtaken.

   • 1833, John Neal, The Down-easters, page 65:

     don't they keep a hunderd or two o' great nasty bull-niggers a piece, jess to sharpen their knives on—without a rag to kiver 'em, starvin' 'em most to death all the time, an' lettin' their women folks and babies slash 'em up with case-knives, for jess nothin' at all, an massacree 'em most to death, when there's company to dinner, jess to shew 'em what they can do?

   • 1903, Ernest Thompson Seton, Two Little Savages:

     Notice to hostile Injuns — Next time you massacree this settlement, bring back the pail, and don't leave the covers off the milk pans.

   • 1921, William MacLeod Raine, Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story, page 136:

     I don't allow to rescue you none if she massacrees you," the world's champion announced, grinning.

Etymology 2

massacre +‎ -ee

Noun

massacree (plural massacrees)

1. One who has been killed in a massacre.
   • 1851 June, “Gleanings after the Spanish Arabs”, in University Magazine: A Literary and Philosophic Review, volume 37, number 222, page 776:

     Suffice it to say, that no very pleasant feelings existed (as indeed may easily be believed) between the families of the massacrors, and the massacrees.

   • 1921, Octavus Roy Cohen, Highly Colored, page 269:

     The battle scene with himself in the role of massacree was not overly inviting.

   • 2014, Marcus Tanner, Albania's Mountain Queen: Edith Durham and the Balkans, page 236:

     In the prologue to Black Lamb, West wrote of foreign travellers 'who return with a pet Balkan people established in their hearts as suffering and innocent, eternally the massacree and never the massacrer', adding: ...

Anagrams

• racemases, smear case, smear-case, smearcase